INEC Enugu Office Attacked By Gunmen Again, Kills policeman

INEC Enugu Office Attacked By Gunmen Again, Kills policeman

A police officer was killed and another was injured when gunmen assaulted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, office in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State on Sunday night.

INEC National Commissioner, Mr. Festus Okoye, who disclosed this in a statement, yesterday, said: “The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, has reported that our office in Enugu South LGA was attacked by gunmen. The incident occurred around 9.12 p.m., January 15, 2023.

“The security gatehouse was razed. Fortunately, the attackers could not gain access to the main building as a result of the rapid response from the police and army personnel from the 82 Division.

“The state Commissioner of Police and the REC were personally at the scene immediately after they received information about the attack. Of the two policemen deployed to protect the facility, one of them lost his life while the other sustained injuries and is receiving treatment.”

The Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, in Enugu State, co-chaired by the REC and the Commissioner of Police, has been called to discuss the most recent incident and develop plans to better protect INEC offices, personnel, and materials, he said, adding that the incident is being investigated by security agencies.

“Meanwhile, the destroyed gatehouse will be rebuilt, and the commission is proceeding with its preparations for the general election in Enugu State and the entire country as scheduled,” Okoye noted.

The attack on INEC offices in the South-East is just the most recent in a string of assaults.

A source from the hamlet, claimed that they swiftly summoned the fire department, who promptly showed up there but were unable to enter the building to put out the fire because of the body lying nearby.

According to the source, “the building would not have been razed totally because we called the fire service men. But they were afraid of going inside because of the person that was shot dead.

“Everybody was really afraid. They felt the guys (gunmen) were still around. But we knew that the gunmen had left.”